Local school boards approve 2026-2027 budgets

By Lee Griffi

The Waterloo Region District School Board has approved its 2026-2027 budget with a deficit of nearly $6.7 million.

Revenues for the coming year are set at $957.1 million with expenses totalling $969.7 million. Public Sector Accounting Board adjustments came in at $5.9 million, meaning a net budget deficit of $6.7 million.

Board chair Maedith Radlein said despite the deficit, the document reflects fiscal responsibility and a student commitment.

“I appreciate the professionalism and hard work of staff throughout the organization, especially those in the business services department, in the preparation of the WRDSB’s 2026-2027 budget. Trustees approved the budget, which meets provincial requirements and prioritizes investments in student learning and wellbeing.”

Enrolment at the board is approximately 63,000 with 6,700 full-time equivalent staff. A total of $683.1 million goes directly to classrooms and includes teacher salaries, equipment and supplies.

The board’s superintendent of business services said they have run intentional deficits for the last two years.

“This is a planned deficit for us, so it wasn’t a surprise. There are a number of underfunded and unfunded pressures school boards are dealing with right now, one of them being supply costs for staff,” said Nick Landry.

He said supplies for staff are being subsidized to the tune of $17 million next year, the number of students requiring special education continues to grow and inflation is also a factor.

“There are a number of things contributing to it, but I would say supply costs are probably the largest one for us and probably most school boards across the province.”

He added more money is also being spent on behavioural support teams to help teachers in the classroom. The board will be required by the province to table a balanced budget for the 2027-2028 school year.

“The way the ministry regulation works is we can run two years of deficits, but in that third year we have to balance it. If we can’t, we would need to seek additional approval from the minister. Our plan for that year is to have a balanced budget, and we’ll be starting to work on that this fall.”   

School administration accounts for $67.5 million, with school operations pegged at $76.2 million and student transportation for $24.8 million. The board also approved a capital budget of $82.9 million for land, construction and other projects.

The Waterloo Catholic District School Board approved a $452 million balanced operating budget for 2026-2027.

Finance staff warn cost pressures like salary and benefit increases, rising sick leave costs, inflation and declining English as a second language enrolment may pose financial problems down the road. Salary and benefits alone account for over 80 per cent of all spending.

The board’s director of education and CEO said the organization remains financially stable and continues to provide strong classroom learning.

“Every decision reflects our collective commitment to helping students learn and grow, to serving our communities with purpose and compassion, and to ensuring every child belongs in a safe and welcoming Catholic school,” said Annalisa Varano.

“By keeping student achievement and wellbeing at the heart of every decision, we are well-positioned to continue advancing our (multi-year strategic plan) goals while maintaining the financial stability our system depends on.”

The board said it made reductions to non-staff areas such as facilities, technology and professional development.